Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia Gameplay Mechanics

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is due out for the 3DS on May 19, and Nintendo has revealed some new details about it, both at PAX East (thanks, GameSpot) and in the latest Weekly Famitsu (thanks, Gematsu). Since Fire Emblem Echoes is a reimagining of 1992’s Fire Emblem Gaiden, it has several differences from other Fire Emblem games.

World Map and Dungeons

In Fire Emblem Echoes, you’ll navigate a world map in order to decide where to go next, including dungeons. Dungeons are filled with treasures to find and enemies to fight, and battles are structured like smaller missions. You’ll explore dungeons in 3D with a third-person camera.

Difficulty Options

Fire Emblem Echoes lets you play on either Normal or Hard, while also selecting either Classic or Casual battle rules. If you choose Classic, you won’t be able to revive defeated allies, whereas Casual will restore them once you clear the map.

Battles

Terrain effects return in Fire Emblem Echoes, although the weapon triangle system does not. It appears that weapon durability won’t be in the game, either, although that remains unconfirmed. It also doesn’t have a support system in battle, although at this time it’s unclear if the game will have other types of support.

Magic, meanwhile, is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it ignores terrain effects. On the other hand, it costs HP to use magic. You’ll need to decide carefully when it’s worth the price.

Archers can perform counterattacks from a single tile away from the enemy.

Finally, a special mechanic called Mila’s Gear will allow you to rewind your units’ movement. However, it can only be used a limited number of times.

Characters

In addition to the two main characters, Celica and Alm, whom you’ll switch between as you play through the game, three more characters have been revealed. One is Silque, a Cleric who gives you Mila’s Gear.

The other two are new characters who didn’t appear in Gaiden: Berkut, a nobleman who leads the coup in the Zophia Kingdom, and Effie, Alm’s childhood friend who joins the army to stay by his side.

Samantha is a published horror and fantasy writer, a professional freelance writer, and a longtime gamer. As a result, writing about games is one of her favorite activities. She likes a wide range of genres, especially RPGs, survival horror, and visual novels. More information can be found at her website: http://www.samanthalienhard.com/